Peter Bernstein, What Comes Next Review

Peter Bernstein is a New York City jazz guitarist and composer that has performed in over eighty recordings. As a leader, Bernstein has released nine albums and a DVD, Live at Smoke. The legendary Jim Hall said that Bernstein “…has paid attention to the past as well as the future. He is the most impressive guitarist I’ve heard. He plays the best of them all for swing, logic, feels, and taste.” In 1990, Bernstein was discovered by alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson and took part in four recordings. Bernstein was also a member of the legendary drummer Jimmy Cobb’s group Cobb’s Mob and organist Larry Goldings and drummer Bill Stewart as a member of their highly acclaimed trio. From 1995 through 1997, Peter was a member of Joshua Redman’s band and played on Redman’s Freedom in the Groove CD. He played with Diana Krall’s quartet from 1999 through 2001 and with Dr. Lonnie Smith, the legendary organist who made his debut on the George Benson Cookbook albums. He has also recorded five CDs with organist Melvin Rhyne, known for his association with Wes Montgomery. Also, Peter has appeared in groups led by Nicholas Payton, Sonny Rollins, Lee Konitz, Tom Harrell, and Eric Alexander. Bernstein is releasing a new album titled What Comes Next. He is joined by Sullivan Fortner, piano; Peter Washington, bass; and Joe Farnsworth, drums.

Bottom Line:  What Comes Next is nine tracks inspired by being locked away, wary of leaving the house during a global pandemic, divided by politics and protests, all during the most vital Presidential election in living memory. Bernstein explains, “Without the question mark, What Comes Next implies that you have some idea, some intention. That seems like such a huge concept now, but it’s inherent to the very idea of playing jazz. It’s the basic question that we deal with all the time when we’re given the freedom to improvise: now, what do I play? What note should come next? Where are we in the conversation? With everybody’s lives being put on hold, that idea can be extended beyond the fact of just playing music.” He continues about the album title. “I try to let a tune write itself as much as possible,” he describes. “I tend to tinker with music for a long time until it feels like it has its own identity. I try to get inside the consciousness of what I’ve written and then ask, ‘What does it want to be next?’” Bernstein’s originals are augmented by Dizzy Gillespie’s “Con Alma,” showcasing the band’s abilities to create a fresh sound on a well-worn jazz standard. The ensemble again does its magic on the standard, “We’ll Be Together Again.”

The mid-tempo “Blood Wolf Moon Blues” was initially recorded on Jimmy Cobb’s 2019 Smoke Sessions album This I Dig of You, his last album, and it also had the late Harold Maben. Bernstein reprised the tune in memory of both lost elders. His warm box guitar tone sets beautifully surrounded by Washington’s woody bass and Farnsworth propelling drums, as Fortner adds chordal colors. Bernstein’s tone is legendary, and his use of bends on this track pulls even more feeling to his jazz lines. “Simple as That” is a modern jazz composition with a relaxed pulse and Bernstein’s beautiful phrasing. “Harbor No Illusions” is a highlight and contains some of the best playing by the ensemble on the date. Bernstein has a tone and language that can not be ignored in the jazz guitar community, and that’s the short of it!

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